g, of a God, creator and
preserver of mankind, there are none more horrible, than those of the
impostors, who represented themselves as inspired by a divine spirit, and
"Thus saith the Lord."

Why, O theologians! do you presume to inquire into the impenetrable
mysteries of a being, whom you consider inconceivable to the human mind?
You are the blasphemers, when you imagine that a being, perfect according
to you, could be guilty of such cruelty towards creatures whom he has
made out of nothing. Confess, your ignorance of a creating God; and cease
meddling with mysteries, which are repugnant to _Common Sense_.

DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS GIVEN IN THE FRENCH EDITION

Section

1. APOLOGUE

2, 3. What is Theology?

4. Man is not born with any ideas of Religion

5. It is not necessary to believe in a God

6. Religion is founded on credulity

7. All religion is an absurdity

8. The idea of God is impossible

9. On the Origin of Superstition

10. On the Origin of all Religion

11. Religious fears expose men to become a prey to imposters

12, 13. Religion seduces ignorance by the aid of the marvellous

14. There would never have been any Religion, if there had not been
ages of Stupidity and Barbarism

15. All Religion was produced by the desire of domination

16. What serves as a basis to Religion is most uncertain

17, 18. It is impossible to be convinced of the existence of a God

19. The existence of God is not proved

20. It explains nothing to say, that God is a spirit

21. Spirituality is an absurdity

22. Whatever exists is derived from Matter

23. What is the metaphysical God of modern Theology?

24. It would be less unreasonable to adore the Sun, than to adore
a spiritual Deity

25. A spiritual Deity is incapable of volition and action

26. What is God?

27. Some remarkable Contradictions in Theology

28. To adore God, is to adore a fiction

29. Atheism is authorised by the infinity of God, and the impossibility
of knowing the Divine essence

30. Believing in God is neither safer nor less criminal than not
believing in him

31. Belief in God is a habit acquired in infancy

32. Belief in God is a prejudice established by successive generations

33. On the Origin of Prejudices

34. On the effects of Prejudices

35. The Religious principles of moder